an email that her league is considering all options for o

What made Bill James, the father of modern sabermetrics, so effective as a writer? There are plenty of plausible answers, from the revolutionary nature of the way James interpreted statistics in the 1980s to his way with words and biting wit.In the last edition of his Baseball Abstract series, however, James offered a different explanation.The secret of the success of this series, James wrote, was that I was dead in the center of the discussion. I was writing about exactly the same issues that everybody else was talking about, only in a different way.Thats sort of how I feel about ESPNs new analytics vertical. If youre interested in viewing sports a different way, as James put it, this is a new place to find a common style of thinking across different writers and specialties.At the same time, the topics youll find here are the same as on the sport index pages elsewhere on ESPN.com, both because this is a home for articles also published there and because were still trying to answer the same questions as everyone else.Ive written before that what statistical analysts do in sports has as much to do with history as it does with math. When theres a question worth asking (How will the Golden State Warriors perform with Kevin Durant? How will LeBron James age? Were the Philadelphia 76ers wise to tear down their roster?), what were often doing is using statistics to sift through basketball history in the same way we naturally do in an anecdotal way.The rationale is not about the numbers per se so much as the ability to avoid some of the perceptual biases that cause our memory to overstate certain examples while ignoring other potentially relevant ones.Take, for example, projecting the development of players based on similar predecessors. Finding comparisons for young players has been a part of the scouting process as long as its existed. Alas, even for someone aware of the potential for bias, that process can be unduly influenced by irrelevant factors like the players race, the hand he uses, or where he happened to go to college. A statistical comparison tool like my SCHOENE projection system doesnt consider any of those things.Of course, statistics have always played a role in that process.Weve got this buzzword, analytics, says Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens. Maybe we have more access to data than we had in the past, but certain people have been using statistics and what they can get their hands on forever. Its not necessarily a new concept, right?And its not necessarily more complex, either. Oftentimes, what we call advanced statistics are really anything but in the traditional mathematical sense. Metrics like effective field goal percentage and points per possession arent really any more complex than traditional field goal percentage or per-game stats.The advancement lies in the fact that these new statistics better reflect what happens on the court. Basketball knowledge, not math knowledge, is required to understand and develop these measures.And thats why Id appreciate it if everyone stopped saying that statistical analysts are smart. Its well-intentioned, certainly, and often accurate -- depending on your definition of the term. But engagement with statistical analysis doesnt mean youre smart. Likewise, those who ignore statistical analysis are not by definition dumb, and the latter reflects the real problem here.Talking about how smart statistical analysts are gives the appearance of closing off the field to anyone who doesnt self-identify as smart because they didnt do well in school, or worse yet were told they werent smart or good at math. And the same goes for anyone who doesnt place a great cultural value on math ability.Instead, its better to think of statistical analysis the way we think of any other field of knowledge, one that requires and improves with study. That process is surely easier to navigate if you think about the world in mathematical terms or are familiar with the mathematical field of statistics. However, it doesnt require a diploma from an Ivy League school to begin.Consider the case of Houston Rockets analyst Ed Kupfer, who didnt finish high school in his native Canada. Kupfers interest in basketball statistics was an outgrowth of trying to win debates on NBA Usenet discussion forums. That led him to a discussion group about advanced statistics that became the APBRmetrics message board.There, Kupfer learned about the growing field of basketball statistics with the help of forerunners like Dean Oliver, while also teaching himself the formal mathematical principles of statistics and how to use programs like R in addition to Excel to calculate metrics. Those lessons paid off when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey hired Kupfer as an analyst shortly after joining the Rockets in 2006.If analytics are a field to be learned, then hopefully this new home is the first step for some, necessary review for others, and reinforcement for those who already consider themselves experts.Now, if you dont mind, weve got some questions to answer. Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Alex Smith Womens Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/Redskins+Bryce+Love+Rush+Jersey.html?cat=1372 . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Art Monk Redskins Jersey . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Earnest Byner Redskins Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. About a week after the National Womens Hockey League stunned its players by reducing their salaries by 50 percent, the league has yet to provide the detailed information about funding and finances that the players requested.In a letter released last Saturday, the players asked officials of the second-year league to identify investors, explain why revenue dropped dramatically enough to trigger salary cuts and agree to a third-party accounting of the leagues finances. Commissioner Dani Rylan met with some players and exchanged emails with others but still hasnt complied, according to a person who is familiar with the discussions but not authorized to talk about them.With the league shut down for its Thanksgiving break, little is expected to happen until Monday.NWHL spokesman Chris Botta said in an email that the league hasnt received any further capital contributions beyond a $50,000 pledge toward salaries from Dunkin Donuts, its biggest sponsor. The leagues financial issues and lack of transparency are troubling to Scott Rosner, the faculty associate director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on womens sports startup leagues.Unfortunately, this may be a harbinger of things to come for this league, Rosner said in a phone interview. Id love for it to succeed. But when you have this at the beginning of the season, it means your business model is not as robust as they predicted it to be.We know startup leagues, or any startup businesses, lose money. Thats no great surprise. So you have to scale back and try to keep the doors open. Some leagues have done it and survived, but I worry that this may not.Until the league opens its books, its difficult to know what went wrong. But there might be some hints.Canadian financial executive Joel Leonoff met Rylan and invested in the league in its inaugural season while his daughter, Jaimie, played for the Connecticut Whale. Jaimie, a Yale graduate, goaltender and aspiring Olympian, needed a place to improve her skills.Im supporting my daughter more than anything,, Leonoff told espnW last January.ddddddddddddJaimie signed with the New York Riveters over the summer but injured her hip before training camp and is out for the season. Its not clear whether Leonoff remains a benefactor; he did not respond to an email asking about his involvement.Investors may have an ability to underwrite a certain amount of money, Rosner said. If a business makes another capital call, its not unusual to see them pull back. If thats what happened here, the league is in serious trouble.The NWHL resumes play Dec. 3. Players can opt out of their contracts for virtually any reason, but where would they go? Rosters in the Canadian Womens Hockey League, the only other North American option, appear set. The CWHL pays bonuses but not salaries, so even a significantly reduced NWHL paycheck is better than none.CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress said in an email that her league is considering all options for our players and any players who display an interest in joining the CWHL at this point.The CWHL, founded in 2007, is miles ahead of the NWHL in transparency. It lists its board of governors and directors on its website; the NWHL has never revealed them. And the CWHL far exceeds the NWHL in sponsorships and corporate partners.Rylan attended Sundays Riveters-Whale game in Newark, New Jersey. Rosner suggested Rylan meet with all teams face-to-face as soon as possible.The league needs to trudge on. Rosner said. The league needs to be very, very forthright with its players. The league needs to be in front on this rather than behind it.If Im the commissioner, Im meeting with every team today and tomorrow. I need to speak to the players, tell them whats going on and be honest with them. Youve got to do something to keep them happy and enthusiastic and understanding. Theyre all in this together. Basically, youve got to make sure youre holding their hands and assuring them youre doing the best you can under the circumstances. ' ' '